Child Focus Inc.

Infant-toddler Court Program - Award Opportunity: Infant Toddler Court Program- State Award HRSA-22-073 Address: 415 Hamburg Turnpike Suite D2, Wayne, NJ 07470 Project Director Name: Erica Kaslander Phone# 973-832-4002 Fax# 973-706-8892 Email: Erica@passaiccountycasa.org Web: Https://www.njsafebabies.com Grant Funds Requested: $3,125,000 Over 5 Years, $625,000 Total Cost Per Year. We Are Pleased to Request Funds to Build Capacity for, Sustain, and Expand the Infant Toddler Court Program (ITCP) in New Jersey at a Pivotal Time in Its Establishment. This Project Is Being Implemented by the Organization Passaic County Court Appointed Special Advocates (PC Casa) Through Its New Jersey Safe Babies Court Team (NJ SBCT) Program. We Propose to Serve the Approximately 2,000 Children in NJ, Ages 0-3, Who Are in Foster Care Each Year Due to Abuse or Neglect, and Their Families. These Children Experience Significant Trauma During the Most Critical Period of Brain Development, When Foundations of Cognitive and Mental Health Are Formed. Unfortunately, Our Current Child Welfare System in NJ Is Fragmented, Incomplete, and Especially Lacking When It Comes to Services for Infants and Toddlers. NJ SBCT Was Launched in October 2020 to Address These Critical Needs. Using the Research-driven SBCT Model Developed by the Nonprofit Organization, Zero to Three (ZTT), We Have Established 3 Pilot Infant Toddler Court (ITCS) Sites in Passaic, Essex, and Hudson Counties. Our Goals Are to: 1. Increase Spread, Scale, and Coordination of Itcs in NJ. 2. Increase Timely Access to Trauma-informed Family Support Services, Emphasizing Prevention & Early Intervention. 3. Improve Policies and Practice That: (a) Support Needs of Children Under 3 & Their Families in the Child Welfare System; (B) Prevent Child Maltreatment During the PRENATAL-TO-3 Period. 4. Increase Use of Evidence-driven Strategies and Data to Reduce Disparities. 5. Build Capacity for Itcp Expansion Across New Jersey. ZTT Provided See D Funding, Training, and Technical Assistance During the First Year of Planning and Development. We Officially Launched Itc Pilot Sites in Passaic, Essex, and Hudson, and Began Enrolling Families in August 2021, With the Hope of Eventually Expanding Across the State. Under NJ SBCT, We Work Closely With the Administration of Courts (AOC) and the NJ Department of Children and Families (DCF), Who Refer Cases Involving Infants and Toddlers to Us. We Then Work Closely With the Children, Families, Courts, Caseworkers, and Key Community Stakeholders (e.g., Health/mental Healthcare Providers) Involved in Each Case, to Facilitate Timely and Safe Family Reunifications Whenever Possible. Simultaneously, We Coordinate and Inform Community Stakeholders, as Well as State-level Leaders, to Foster a More Cohesive, Trauma-informed, Child Welfare Ecosystem in New Jersey, That Is Sensitive to the Special Needs of Our Priority Population. the Requested Funds Will Support: (a) an Experienced Staff of Professional Program Managers, Case Managers, and Data Administrators Who Will Work Across Sectors and Systems (esp. With the Courts, DCF, Service Providers) to Serve Children and Families, and to Build a Cohesive, Informed Child Welfare Ecosystem in NJ. (B) Direct Support for Families Enrolled in the Program, in the Form of Transportation Fares and Basic Needs (e.g. Diapers), So That They Are Better Able to Reach the Goals of Their Rehabilitation and Family Reunification Plans. (C) the Identification of Critical Service Gaps and Areas of Systemic Failure at the State and Local Levels, as Well as the Promotion of Child and Family-serving Policies and Practices.